TikTok has quickly transformed into a key asset for many marketers, helping them to see engagement on an unprecedented level. Data from 2021 suggests that 14% of businesses were willing to increase their social media budget due to the success they saw on TikTok. The platform has now taken matters into its own hands, providing a wealth of resources for enterprises that are looking to grow on TikTok. Netinfluencer discusses everything there is to know about TikTok’s Follow Me program. 

What Is The Follow Me Program?

In July 2022, TikTok announced the launch of Follow Me, an intuitive platform that aims to support small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) across the world. Through a range of courses and workshops, small business owners will learn how to carry out an effective social media marketing campaign and see an increase in their initial investment.

The Follow Me program officially lasts for around six weeks, but brands will be able to gain long-term access to vital business resources. They will also discover more about how TikTok can help SMBs through acclaimed ambassadors Cassie Sorensen, Tassel Amor, and Jacob Zander. All of these individuals have launched successful campaigns on TikTok and have seen the power of community-building on the platform through first-hand experience. 

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How to Apply for the Program

The Follow Me program is completely free and is available to any type of SMB. The scheme does not require a contract or any type of commitment, meaning that you can finish the course at your own pace. 

In order to receive this content, you need to register your business to the program. All you need to provide is your name, contact details, and what type of industry your business operates in. Users will also have to give their average monthly marketing budget. This is to ensure that your business falls under the SMB criteria. 

Once you have registered, you will receive the course materials via email and will then get the chance to access the other business resources. TikTok also suggests that users list their account names and ID to give brands a more personalized experience. 

What Will the Course Provide?

TikTok’s Follow Me program offers users a 6-week course that is delivered directly to their email inbox. This set of lessons will teach brands how to use TikTok’s interface as well as set up a TikTok For Business account. In turn, this will allow them to monetize their content and create their first campaign. Registered brands will also be eligible for giveaways, giving them the chance to access additional resources and materials.

The course will also share guidance and anecdotes from successful business owners, helping others to learn the best practices for promoting on TikTok. They will also share key data from their campaign to put their success into a more quantitative context. A lot of this content will be expressed in a video format to build a more amicable viewing experience. 

Alongside the learning materials, users will also gain access to TikTok’s Creative Center. This is a separate platform that collates vital information about what is currently trending on the platform. Here, users can see real-time analytics of trending hashtags as well as how the most prominent ads are performing. The Creative Center also hosts an expansive blog that goes into more detail about how the platform is constantly transforming.

Users will also be able to use TikTok Ads Manager, a platform that can help boost your campaign even further. This section of TikTok allows brands to place sponsored ads throughout an audience’s feed and offers them key metrics to better judge their performance. 

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Are SMBs Seeing Success on TikTok?

In 2021, TikTok hit 1 billion active users, signifying its success with the general public. But can TikTok truly push small brands into international stardom?

TikTok Impact was designed to showcase how budding brands have grown on TikTok, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The account places small businesses into the spotlight, helping potential customers to recognize their merits. Customers can then copy an embedded link to their profile so they can share their content even further. 

In their Small Business Digital Marketing Trends report, Hello Alice exemplified how many businesses are commending TikTok for its intuitive creative and financial support. 61% of the sample used believed that TikTok allows brands to implement effective storytelling in their campaign. Hello Alice also explained that 30% of the sample felt most excited about what TikTok could offer their brand.

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Benefits of Joining Tiktok’s Follow Me Program

TikTok’s Follow Me program provides a key insight into how growing businesses are using social media on a regular basis. Because the course is free and requires no contract, SMBs can use it to gain more information about this growing platform. As such, brands can see for themselves whether marketing on TikTok is appropriate for their product or service. Plus, the course is not considered a fee for the business, helping to keep their outgoings low. 

The program also gives marketers the chance to experiment with new platforms in a more laid-back way. TikTok Ads Manager expresses a varied assortment of data that brands can use to determine their overall strategy for the platform. As such, this gives small businesses a more detailed account of their operations and allows them to share this data with potential investors or partners. 

These resources also denote that TikTok is not planning to slow down. By allowing users to access key business resources, it seems that the platform is welcoming their success. This means that it is not too late for small businesses to jump on the TikTok trend and share their work with profitable markets around the world. 

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TikTok’s Follow Me program may just seem like a short-term marketing course but it is actually so much more. With a variety of resources, platforms, and data on offer, small businesses can use this program to gain immense success in their next social media marketing campaign. If you want to learn how to promote your small business on TikTok, visit our website.